RT Book, Section A1 Reichman, Eric F. SR Print(0) ID 57718706 T1 Chapter 177. Dental Abscess Incision and Drainage T2 Emergency Medicine Procedures, 2e YR 2013 FD 2013 PB The McGraw-Hill Companies PP New York, NY SN 978-0-07-161352-1 LK accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=57718706 RD 2024/10/13 AB Patients frequently present to the Emergency Department complaining of a “toothache”. The common causes of toothache pain are multiple.1 Similarly, there are multiple etiologies for a dental abscess (Table 177-1). Distinguishing the type of dental abscess can have an impact upon treatment decisions, prognosis, and patient morbidity.2–5 The accurate diagnosis and proper treatment of these maladies require that the Emergency Physician has a basic understanding of dental anatomy, pathophysiology, and simple dental treatment protocols. Many of these conditions can be managed initially through the Emergency Department. The prudent Emergency Physician must have a clear understanding that these infections can rapidly become complicated and may require timely consultation or referral.